The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service will announce Tuesday that it has lowered its temperature recommendation for cooking pork to 145 degrees. That's a change from the agency's longstanding guideline and means pork will be held to the same standard as beef, veal and lamb.

For chefs, it means the USDA has sanctioned what already was common practice.

"I'm glad they have the sense to make that change," said Rob Weland, a chef at Poste Moderne Brasserie, an upscale restaurant in Washington.

Weland said he has always cooked pork to the lower temperature because chefs knew it was safe and the meat clearly tastes better. But he said it could take years for backyard grillers to adjust to the change.

"People have been taught this for generations and it's going to take a long time to get this removed," he said. "It will be good for the next generation not to be so fearful so they can enjoy pork in a way they may not have been able to in the past."

With its lower temperature recommendation, the USDA also called for letting the pork rest for 3 minutes after removing it from the grill or oven. The meat's temperature will remain constant or rise during that period, killing any pathogens.

"With a single temperature for all whole cuts of meat and uniform 3-minute stand time, we feel it will be much easier for consumers to remember and result in safer food preparation," USDA Under Secretary Elisabeth Hagen said in a statement.

Ceci Snyder, vice president of marking for the Des Moines, Iowa-based National Pork Board, said restaurants are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has allowed the lower cooking temperature for a decade.

The USDA made the change after several years of research and talks with producers and food safety experts. Producers proposed the change in 2008, based in part on new production methods that reduced the risk of pathogens, Snyder said, citing improved feed and housing methods.

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